


A Strange Trip Down Memory Lane

by xserenity



Category: Batman (Comics), Batman - All Media Types, Nightwing (Comics)
Genre: Age Regression/De-Aging, Established Relationship, Fluff and Angst, Jealousy, M/M, Magic, Secret Relationship, Trapped, batfam reversebang, dream - Freeform, hallucination
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-31
Updated: 2017-08-31
Packaged: 2018-12-22 01:17:34
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,282
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11956662
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xserenity/pseuds/xserenity
Summary: Jason was out patrolling with Bruce when they found themselves stuck in some strange world with a very young Dick Grayson, one that wasn't theirs.





	A Strange Trip Down Memory Lane

**Author's Note:**

  * For [pentapus](https://archiveofourown.org/users/pentapus/gifts).



> This was written for the Batfam Reverse Big Bang and it was a pleasure participating in this fun event! Pentapus drew amazing art for it, which has been placed at the appropriate scene in the story. I had a lot of fun and hope you all enjoy reading this fic!
> 
> Thank you [IMightwing](https://archiveofourown.org/users/IMightwing/pseuds/IMightwing) for beta-reading for me!

Patrol with the family was always so dull, at least, to Jason’s standards. The fact that there were so many restrictions killed his vibe. He couldn't do as he pleased or he'd risked getting reprimanded by Bruce, and quite frankly, Jason would rather not deal with the Batman. It wouldn’t be any fun to have his ear chewed off or getting bat-glared to oblivion, so he settled for following the guidelines and slightly bent them to fit his needs.

Best to keep himself out of trouble, at least for now. There were other items he’d rather annoy Bruce with than getting yelled at for being a tad _too_   violent. But hey, the criminals deserved it. 

At least patrol wasn’t all that boring, considering there was one perk to the job and that was Dick. Not that he didn’t already see the man often because he did—after all, they were dating. That’s right, they were _boyfriends_ , though no one else in the family knew since they’ve kept it hidden. 

The great thing about dating Dick besides the fact that he was the golden child that Jason had always had a crush on, was how physical he was. The bluebird enjoyed flirting—lots of it. Especially when they were on patrol. There was just something that excited the ex-Robin. Possibly the fact that in any given moment in time they could be caught by a member of the clan since none of them knew. Just the thought in itself was exhilarating and quite honestly, fun. Not to mention post-patrol adrenaline. 

It was like a game, trying to figure out when and where they could flirt without getting caught. It was a risk, but it wasn’t like they wanted it to happen because that would just be outright terrible. _Just_ —that it was fun trying to avoid the family while they, well, _flirted_. It wasn’t anything obscene, really, just kissing— _lots_ of kissing and possibly a bit of groping. 

Either way, it was fantastic for Jason, but he knew that they should probably stop, considering that it wouldn’t be good if the Bat found out. And the fact that Dick had a bit of an issue with that—actually a _huge_ issue.

But that would be something they would deal with when it happened and honestly, it wasn’t a big deal to Jason so he just let the thought slide away. 

They had been dating for about half a year now and honestly, Jason never expected to end up like this. Their relationship just sort of popped out of nowhere, well, not literally, but how it happened was pretty random. They fought a lot and it was mainly about Jason’s actions. They would butt heads because Jason provoked him, pissed Dick off while all the man wanted to do was help him. Though he was quite stubborn about everything and was easy to rile up. Hence, their conversations often went back and forth. 

Eventually they came to a consensus where they learned to understand one another and why the other did what they did. It was a long journey and took many tries, but it all turned out for the best because they found out that they got along well. So much so that they started to hang out together which reignited Jason’s hidden feelings for the older bird, amped it up another level. 

He had always had a crush on Dick ever since he was Robin and it kind of irritated him that Dick never seemed to notice. That it was always a one-sided thing on his part, so he started teasing him. Found many ways to get him flustered by purposely making him angry or embarrassed him in ways that he hated. 

It was all fun and games at first because Jason just wanted to give him a hard time for never noticing him. Until one day, Dick just confessed out of the blue—something that was just _so_ Grayson. He didn’t expect Dick to be the one to make the first move and yet, he did. The bluebird kissed him before he was about to leap off to his death. Said that he had to confess because his life was in danger and he needed Jason to know that he loved him in case he died. 

Well, he didn’t die, but he was injured. Jason almost beat his ass for giving him a near heart attack and the only reason he let it go was because he loved him. Hence instead of punishing him, he rewarded Dick by pounding him into the mattress all night long (after his injuries were healed), and he’d done it so rough that the pretty bird could barely walk the next day without waddling around like a penguin. 

Afterwards, things escalated and they became official, at least, to them, they were official because they never published that bit of information anywhere else. Jason didn’t have any close friends, but Dick did and yet, he didn’t mention it to anyone which Jason thought was odd. The bluebird was a social butterfly and was the type that bragged about his lovers to everyone like he’d done in the past. Yet, with Jason he seemed almost reluctant—actually, _he was_.

It would be a lie to say that Jason didn’t mind because he did, but more so, it hurt. That maybe the reason why Dick didn’t want to say anything was because he didn’t want to be judged for dating the black sheep of the family. 

Jason didn’t have any desire to announce it to the entire world, but if Dick wanted to, he could. He wasn’t going to argue against that and yet, he didn’t and that bothered him because it felt like Dick was trying to hide Jason by keeping their relationship a secret from all eyes and ears.

He couldn’t withstand the fact that he didn’t know what was going on through Dick’s mind so he blurted it out one day. Accused him of being ashamed of him and they ended up in a fight. Dick was astonished by his claim and denied every single bit of it, but Jason wasn’t buying it. Not until Dick explained and he did. 

It wasn’t exactly what Jason had in mind, but it made sense and the anger in him dwindled down. Dick wasn’t embarrassed of Jason and told him firmly that he never would be. It was just—there were too many factors playing into the equation of their relationship. It had him worried to the point that he was stressed out, and he had a tough time figuring out solutions to his concerns. 

Jason wanted to know more about what his anxiety was, but he didn’t go into detail about it. He supposed he could let that information slide because just from one glance at his face, nothing else mattered. Those expressive bright blue eyes told him all he needed to know and that was that Dick was telling the truth. That there was something else that was holding him back from telling anyone about their relationship and that was all Jason needed to know. 

Honestly, Jason could care less if anyone knew about their relationship or not. As long as Dick was happy then it was fine. Besides, it was way more amusing trying to hide it from the family instead of letting them judge him from afar or even up close as he knew some of they would. If not, all of them. 

Needless to say, their relationship was going quite well.

Jason just hoped he didn’t jinx himself.

\------

“So Jay.” Dick turned to look at Jason, wearing a mischievous grin on his face. Jason couldn’t see behind his obscured lenses, but he was sure the bluebird was batting his eyes. “Patrol is pretty slow tonight,” he said, there was a hint of sultry hidden beneath his voice and Jason had an inkling of where this was heading. 

Jason hummed playfully, pretended that he didn’t know what Dick was hinting at. “Oh yeah?” He answered nonchalantly. 

“Yeah,” Dick breathed breathlessly, fingers slowly sliding over Jason’s thighs as he climbed onto his lap. He locked his legs on either side of Jason, slyly rolled his hands over his shoulders and hooked them behind his neck. 

Dick and Jason were squatted on one of many rooftops in Gotham city, awaiting further instructions from the Batman. They were currently on standby as the other members were out searching for information. The night seemed quiet for the most part, almost absent of any criminal activities which was rare for Gotham. Hence, they were all prepared just in case something happened. 

Dick sighed and leaned into Jason, chests flushed against one another. “I missed you,” he murmured, lips close, hovering just mere centimeters from the redbird. 

Jason chuckled, amused and nipped at his lower lip. “We just saw each other the other day.”

“Don’t care,” Dick whispered and crushed his lips against Jason’s, fiery and passionate. Jason returned the kiss, tongue running around his hot cavern as he tasted Dick, soft and sweet, had just a hint of that sugary cereal he loved so much. 

Jason’s fingers teasingly trailed down the small of his back, found its way to Dick’s ass and squeezed that plump flesh. He earned a breathy gasp from Dick as he jolted in his lap, teeth grazing just the tip of his lip. They kissed like their time was short, hard and bruising, fervent and with a sense of longing, completely immersed in one another. 

They were lost in their emotions, so absorbed with each other that they completely forgot about their surroundings. Didn’t realize that someone had been watching for the past few minutes. That was until they heard a deep voice clearing their throat. 

Startled, Dick broke apart quickly from Jason and shot up to his feet. He aggressively wiped his lips dry with the top of his glove, as if to rid the evidence of their passionate kiss.

From the corner of his eyes, Jason could see a dark and menacing shadow watching from up above. The moment he dropped down, emerging from the depths of the night, pointy ears came into the light. 

Jason groaned. Of course he didn’t have to see him to know it was the Batman. Just from the slight sound of his voice was enough. 

“Batman…” Dick whispered nervously and Jason didn’t have to see his eyes to know that Dick was on edge–almost scared even. He knew that Dick had an issue, didn’t want Bruce to know about their relationship, yet, Jason was confused by his actions. 

The bluebird was acting almost as if he was a child who’d been found doing something he was told not to. So afraid that he was cowering before his parent. 

That being said, if Jason hadn’t already known beforehand, he might have blown up at Dick. But he knew that it wasn’t Jason himself that was the issue. It was—it was something more and Jason couldn’t quite pinpoint it. 

“ _Nightwing._ ” All it took was one word, just one word using _that_ tone—the one he used when he demanded an explanation, as if he was going to reprimand him if Dick answered incorrectly. 

The expression of his body, how his shoulders were stiff, arms crossed over his chest and lips downturn, it was almost as if Bruce was disappointed. That wouldn’t come as a surprise to Jason. The Bat was never good at hiding his emotions, especially when he was upset. It was too easy to tell and Jason had experienced it time and time again. With the way the slit of his eyes narrowed, irritation clearly evident in his voice. How he’d flex his fingers, curling them in and out and the tightness of his jaws. 

Yeah, it was too obvious. Jason could care less though. He wasn’t afraid of Bruce and actually felt delighted that their relationship was discovered. Whenever the opportunity was presented, he took enjoyment in angering his old mentor. They weren’t on the best of terms in the first place so anything he could do to further his irritation made Jason satisfied. He was tired of putting up with his constant bullshit. 

Dick on the other hand, didn’t like that idea as much. 

However, in this particular situation, he supposed he shouldn’t be enjoying it because he wasn’t dating Dick just to piss Bruce off. Felt bad at seeing how shook the bluebird had become. Could see the slight tenor in his shoulders and the way he was swaying on the balls of his heels, fidgeting, most likely nervous. 

Dick drew in a shaky breath. “I-I can explain…” Dick mumbled, was about to say more but sealed his lips shut when Bruce held up a hand. 

The Batman shook his head and disregarded his comment. “I need you on duty.” 

“ _Oh._ ” He blinked, confused. “Uh—okay. Where?” Dick didn’t question Bruce about what, instead, went with the flow. He was purposely trying to avoid the conversation he didn’t want to have. 

“I already sent you the coordinates. You are to rendezvous with Robin.” Bruce ordered. 

“Oh.” Dick said and tapped on his mask, possibly pulling up the message. “Um,” he started, tossed a nervous glance at Jason and bit his lips in worry. “What about the Red Hood?” 

Jason narrowed his eyes at Bruce, knew he couldn’t see them since they were hidden behind his domino mask. But either way, whatever Bruce was about to say wasn’t going to be anything good.

“He's with me.” 

 _Fuck._ Jason knew this was going to happen because of course _dad_ would want to break up his golden child and hide him away from his black sheep of a son. 

 _Whatever._ Jason could deal with it. It’s not even an issue. 

Dick wanted to argue, but knew full well whatever he said wouldn’t get through to Bruce so he sealed his lips and let it go. The man always got what he wanted. Exhaling softly, Dick shifted on his feet and met Jason straight on. The corner of his lips pulled into a frown and he seemed reluctant to leave. With one last sigh, he slipped past Jason and left without another word.

Now all that was left were him and Bruce. 

“Well,” Jason said and stood up. He dusted the dirt from his pants and grabbed his helmet off the ground before turning his eyes to the big ol’ Bat. “Where to?” he asked with a lopsided grin. This wasn’t going to deter him from being with Dick. 

All he received was a grunt and Bruce turned on his back, flipped his cape like a bat and jumped off the building. 

Jason groaned and followed after him. This wasn’t going to be a good night.

\------

Nothing ever ends well when he’s with Bruce. Jason should have known better than to follow him.

Because of course they were going to do something dangerous without any backup. 

That Bruce had disregarded every warning thrown at him and decided they were going to infiltrate an abandoned building that looked like a freaking murder house. 

And the best part? Getting trapped in a room with no way out. 

What made it worse was that none of their communications were working and they couldn't contact anyone else. 

“Fuck,” Jason shouted angrily and kicked the metal door that kept them trapped. There was no outlet of escape, not even a door knob or some sort of device that could magically get them out. 

Tired and irritated, he collapsed to the ground and laid flat on his back with arms and legs stretched wide. Bruce on the other hand ignored him, had been since the moment he found them. Was constantly giving Jason shitty instructions that mainly consisted of hand gestures and grunts. 

“It's no wonder we’re stuck here,” Jason said, making a jab at Bruce and waited for his reaction. 

As expected, he got no response and the Bat continued his investigation around the room. 

Exhaling loudly, Jason started again. “Are you that bothered about Dick and I?” 

Finally he earned a reaction from Bruce and the man completely froze, actions coming to a halt momentarily. Jason knew he successfully hooked Bruce, that he was probably opening up a can of worms but he didn't care and pressed further. Figured they were stuck together anyways so why not let off some steam. 

“Pissed that I'm dating your golden boy?” Jason taunted and watched his shoulders stiffen. He probably should have stopped but there was an itch that pushed him to blurt out, “That he sleeps in my bed?” 

Something snapped in Bruce and that was probably a warning sign for Jason to shut up, or proceed with caution. If anything he was probably in for an intense ass whopping. But again, he didn't give a fuck, and he'd take Bruce on any day. 

“He's an adult in case you haven't noticed and he doesn’t need your approval.” 

Bruce immediately turned to face Jason and stormed towards him. Despite the fact that half of his face was hidden beneath the cowl, Jason could see the downturn of his lips and the way his jaws were pulsing. 

He was pissed. 

“Shut up,” he growled. 

Jason wasn't about to back down. He didn't know what it was, but he was irritated and wanted to release all of his emotions he'd been bottling up.

He shot to his feet and walked up to Bruce. Even though he'd grown, the man still had a few inches above him.

“Make me,” Jason challenged, eyes narrowing dangerously.

Then suddenly, Bruce tackled him to the ground.

“What the fuck Bruce?!” Jason shouted as he tumbled to the floor, back hitting the cement as Bruce had him locked between his legs. “Are you that fucking mad?” 

Bruce said nothing and continued as he struggled to pin Jason down. The redbird didn't think he was that angry at him, figured it only bothered him slightly. Apparently that wasn't the case. 

Jason fought back, stiffened his muscles to stop Bruce from trying to lock him in place. He shifted, attempting to flip their positions and hooked an arm around Bruce's leg. 

Bruce may have been larger but Jason wasn't too far behind. He lifted and threw him on his back as he pounced on him, reversed their positions. They fought for dominance, arms clashing as they tried to hold the other back and rolled around the dirt covered ground. It was childish brawling, and they weren't even hitting one another, just, struggling and rolling around like kids. 

The fight must have gone on for a good five minutes but slowly, Jason was edging out over Bruce. Had his back pinned to his chest with arms hook around his throat and legs latched around his waist. He held on tight, using all his strength to the keep the man still. 

“Stop fucking struggling!” Jason grunted as Bruce twisted and turned, trying to shake Jason off so he could free himself.

Jason was getting pissed and thought about knocking him unconscious, but couldn't as they were interrupted by a soft voice calling out to them. 

“[Hello?](https://pentapoda.tumblr.com/post/165063059811/a-batfamreversebigbang-prompt-for-mayonara)” The voice was small and airy and sounded like a young boy.

Both bodies froze and turned their attention towards the location the voice was coming from. When Jason's eyes fell upon a familiar looking face, he gasped in surprise.

“ _Shit._ Dick?”

That can't be it right, it just can't be. Jason couldn't believe what he was seeing. No way was this fucking real. Just no way.

It was too obvious to mistaken, but the mysterious boy resembled Dick, _a lot_. Expressive eyes stared at them in curiosity, with a brow raised. There was no way Jason would forget his pretty blue eyes, so vivid like the sky, always looked at him with adoring love. Sometimes he’d wonder how he was able to snag such a gorgeous yet good man. 

“Um—” The boy called and pulled Jason out of his thoughts. “How do you know my name?” He questioned, voice so young and squeaky, cute.

Jason was having a hard time wrapping his mind about what the fuck was going on. His arms loosened around Bruce and glanced down at the man, noticed that he was just as confused. The Bat couldn’t seem to take his eyes of the boy and was completely still. 

This was too odd and Jason couldn't help but wonder if it was a dream. It had to be because how could he completely miss the freaking elephant standing right beside Dick. With its trunk wrapped around one of Dick’s legs while the boy had a firm arm around its neck and another propped against his hip. 

Nothing made sense and to prove that he was only stuck in a dream, Jason punched his side and felt pain vibrant against his flesh and muscles, grunting. 

Okay. So this was real, but how the fuck? How the hell was there a younger Dick Grayson? Was there possibly two? Did they maybe just time travel some place without knowing? That’s a possibility since Jason had been to other alternate universes before. 

Unless Dick got magically de-aged but that didn't explain the elephant beside him.

Bruce dislodged himself easily from Jason and slipped out. Shoved the redbird aside as he rose to his feet. Unperturbed, he started dusting his uniform as a form of distraction, seeing that his suit was still dirty after all that wrestling they’d done. 

Jason kept his gaze on the boy and slowly stood up as well. The kid was eyeing him warily and Jason couldn’t help but think that this was basically the smaller version of his boyfriend. 

Turquoise eyes did a once over of the tiny Grayson and noticed he was dressed in a sleeveless blue gymnastic attire, something he often wore when he was performing his stunts. There was a dark shade of blue that accented the front, curving in the shape of a v right across his chest and a matching band wrapped around his waist, completing the look. It was almost as if it was mimicking his Nightwing uniform. Though that made no sense since this Dick was before his Nightwing days. 

Dick widened his eyes and gazed at him, suspicious yet curious. Ugh. Even as a child, he was cute.

Little Dick puffed up his cheeks, shifted back and continued to gaze at them intensely. “Who are you?” He piped up again, softer this time and Jason noticed how Dick seemed to press his side against the elephant, arm tightening around his pet. 

He was nervous. It only made sense. There was no way he wouldn’t be considering he was a child standing in front of two strangers dressed in ridiculous costumes. Well, at least he didn’t look strange but Bruce—Jason tossed a glance at his former mentor and saw he still hadn't moved. Bruce was immersed in a staring contest with the boy, was probably too surprised to say anything. Running a million different scenarios in his head, trying to come up with one single explanation. 

Bruce is smart, Jason can’t deny that. But for this particular situation, it was probably better to go with the flow and figure it out on the way. There were too many possibilities to narrow it just to one. Didn’t help that they were alone, had nobody around them who specialized in _magic_. Because this could only be the work of magic. _Had to be._  

Jason hummed aloud, tilted his head to the side as he examined the elephant. Oddly enough, it resembled the stuff animal Dick had, that he often cuddled with sometimes, the one he called—what was it again? Zitka? Yeah, Zitka. Then it clicked. This elephant was probably Zitka, the one that grew up with him at the circus. Now it made sense why she was there. Still—it was confusing. 

Dick whined softly, pouting. He was fidgeting, seemed uncomfortable in the eyes of two burly men staring him down. Two men who knew his name while he knew neither of theirs. There was a slight fear hidden beneath those bright blue eyes, yet, he was curious and skeptical. Was probably treating them as hostile strangers. 

At least he knew about stranger danger. 

The air tensed, was stiff and Jason honestly wanted to break the intolerable atmosphere. Figured Bruce wasn’t going to do it, so he guessed he had to.

Dick spoke again. “Who are you?” He was quiet, but firm, demanding them to answer his question. Despite the fact that Dick was younger, some parts of his personality were showing through. He was brave for one who seemed so wary. 

Jason cleared his throat, pushed aside his nerves and breathed. He was worried about scaring Dick away. Hoped that he could explain themselves well so that he could at least gain his trust. Though it was hard when he was dressed up with armor and weapons, guns at his side while he stood next to a brooding and intimidating man dressed in a bat suit. 

“Well–” Jason started but froze. Couldn’t gather the right words to say. Should he use their real names or their alias? He wasn’t wearing his hood or mask, so it might be fine for him. “I’m Jason. And this is…” Jason trailed his words, threw a glance at Bruce who was still looking straight at Dick who was staring right back at him. Only he would be brave enough to match the Bat’s glare directly.

“Batman,” Bruce answered and the boy looked surprised. Scrunched his nose and wiggled his lips.

“Batman?” he asked.

“ _Right._ Batman,” Jason reiterated and pulled the attention back to him.

Dick chewed his bottom lip and nervously looked at Jason, blinked his eyes, but kept them firm on the redbird. He was strangely focused on Jason, was probably analyzing him.

Jason arched a brow. “Why are you staring at me?” Oops, he hadn’t meant to let his mind slip aloud. Was just curious why Dick was watching him so closely.

The boy twitched slightly, shoulders jolting up as he wrapped another arm around Zitka and squeezed her tight. Again, he was pouting, cheeks puffed and lips turned into a cute frown. There was a slight pink coloring his cheeks and Jason would like to think that he was blushing. Maybe embarrassed for getting caught staring.

Way to make a child flustered.

Dick wrinkled his nose. “You look…” he mumbled, blinked and pressed a cheek against Zitka. “Funny.”

Jason gasped, appalled that Dick dared to call him funny. Heard a snort beside him, Bruce was obviously amused. He ignored him for the moment and stared at Dick in shock.

“Funny?”

Dick hesitated, then nodded his head.

“What the fu—”

“Language Jason,” Bruce reprimanded.

Jason almost wanted to swear just to spite Bruce for laughing at him but didn't. Figured it probably wasn't a good idea considering there was a young boy in their presence. He didn't want to end up corrupting the adorable child.

“Funny huh?” Jason threw a glance at Bruce. “Says the man in the batsuit,” he teased.

Bruce’s eyes narrowed dangerously, throwing his infamous bat glare but Jason just smirked, knew he had that one on him.

“I think it's cool,” Dick mumbled and unlatched himself from his pet.

Now Bruce was smirking, probably felt all high and mighty because his precious golden boy thought he was cool while Jason was funny looking. Even though he didn't even know them.

...Had Dick always thought he looked weird?

There might be some truth to that since kids tend to say the honest truth, at least most of the time.

Jason clicked his tongue, rolled his eyes at how childish they were being. Fighting for Dick’s affection, trying to see which of them he'd like more. Which okay, Jason wanted to win, wasn't going to let Bruce beat him.

They'd been at each other's throats all day and it was all because of Dick. Least this version of him was a child so maybe, just maybe Bruce would be a little tamer. Well-behaved even. But probably not since Bruce seemed smitten by the boy.

Dick blinked, curled his hands against his sides and squinted at them, wary. Was patiently waiting for an answer.

The situation was tender and Jason knew he had to tread carefully. Slowly, he took a step forward and Dick immediately froze. His body went still, eyes wide with fear. Jason noticed the change in his demeanor and stopped, didn't move an inch further and took a step back. Almost as if he'd sense the danger was no longer prevalent, Dick relaxed, shoulders falling.

It looked like child Dick was at least cautious of them. Which was a good thing but Jason couldn't help but feel a little hurt by that. This wasn't his Dick and yet, the thought of him being afraid of Jason hurt.

He suppose he'll just slowly break down the barrier.

“So,” Jason spoke, watched as Dick’s eyes flickered. “Where are your parents?” It was already strange that he was speaking to a young Dick, but even weirder that his parents weren't with him. He's definitely not old enough to be wandering alone.

“I don't know,” Dick said and shrugged his shoulders.

Jason was perplexed. “Are you...lost?”

Dick scrunched his nose and the corner of his tiny lips fell, looking troubled. “I think so.”

Okay, the situation was a lot worse than he thought. “How did you get lost?”

“Um—” Dick fidgeted with his fingers, nervous. Jason eyed him cautiously, and thought, he wasn't scared of him…was he? Not that it wouldn't be a surprise but Jason was trying hard not to frighten the boy and it was frustrating. “I'm from the circus. I was wandering around and now I'm lost. I don't know where this place is.”

Which explains why he was dressed in the appropriate attire.

Even if this was some alternate universe or whatever it was, Jason felt obligated to bring Dick home. It wouldn't sit well with him if he did nothing at all.

“I see.” Jason said.

Then suddenly, Dick’s eyes lit up, like he'd forgotten something. “Oh!” he exclaimed, startling Jason and Bruce. “By the way, this is Zitka.” Dick smiled, small and caressed the elephant with his tiny hand.

Jason chuckled, delighted that he'd guessed right. There could only be one elephant in his life.

He drew in a breath and asked, “How about you let us take you home?”

The boy stared at him suspiciously, looked from Jason to Bruce and then back to Jason. He tilted his head to the side. “I don't know. You know my name without me telling you, but I don't know who you are.”

God damn Dick for being smart. Even as a child, he knew how to use his brain. All Jason wanted was to get him home before he got hurt and then quickly return to his Dick. But the kid had to question him. It was a good choice, but still, Jason was itching to leave this room.

Jason wasn't sure how to answer. What could he say to make the boy trust him? He was at a loss and just stared at Dick dumbfounded, tried to school his expression as he dug his brain for a believable story.

“We helped your parents once.” Bruce interrupted Thank God, Bruce decided to do something for once. “They told us about you.”

Dick’s blue eyes widened in surprise. “ _Oh._ They never told me.”

“It was a secret.”

Dick didn't seem happy about his parents hiding a fact from him. Well, it was a lie. “What did you help them with?”

“Nothing you need to worry about. But trust us and we will take you to your parents.”

Dick tapped a tiny finger to his chin, considering the idea. Then suddenly, blue eyes lit up, slightly excited and he clapped his hands. “Okay,” he piped, smile wide and then giggled, agreeing easily.

Fuck. He was too adorable and Jason just wanted to bundle him up in his arms.

He wasn't even sure how old Dick was either. Maybe six or seven?

Either way, he was small and a kid and Jason wanted to protect him.

Seeing that Dick seemed to trust them now knowing that they ‘helped his parents,’ all thanks to Bruce, he took another chance and tried approaching Dick. The boy didn't flinch like he'd done before and was even staring at him.

Sapphire eyes were vivid and expressive, just like his own Dick and Jason could clearly read his emotions—curious and gleeful.

Jason was tempted to cradle the child in his arms, smitten, but he didn't want to frighten him, so he kept his distance.

“Can you tell me how you got here?” Jason asked and gestured at the enclosed room.

An adorable expression brightened upon Dick’s face as his eyes widened and he hummed aloud. Lips curved into a pout, brows pressed tight as he thought about it. Probably trying to dig deep into his memories.

A soft and quiet sigh escaped. “I don’t know.” He said and threw his hands up in conclusion.

“Can’t remember anything?” Jason asked.

Dick squeezed his eyes shut as if that would help jolt an image of some sort. But unfortunately, shook his head. “Nope.”

Alright, well that wasn’t helpful at all. Whatever the fuck this was–a hallucination, an alternate universe or some crazy magic voo-doo, they had no clue. None at all. Except for a mysterious de-aged Dick and Zitka.

Seriously, what the fuck was going on? It wasn’t like he was freaking out or anything because he wasn’t. But he was sure weirded out by everything. If it was just Bruce and Jason trapped in some strange world, _fine_ , they could figure it out. But throw in a kid version of his boyfriend? Then shit, he’s in trouble.

Jason threw a glance at Bruce, checked to see how he was fairing considering he hadn't moved an inch. Still had his arms folded across his chest and a scowl on his face, so probably not so well? The bat was most likely perturbed by this strange situation. Seeing how frozen he’d become and unresponsive. Only was useful for helping to explain why they knew who Dick was.

As Jason was distracted by Bruce like he was the most interesting thing in the world—which he sort of was—younger Dick came up to his side unannounced.

“ _Hey_.” Dick called out, surprising Jason. The redbird jumped a little and noticed how Dick frowned at that reaction. Clearing his throat awkwardly, he resettled himself and gazed down at the little twerp.

“Yeah?”

“What do you do?” He asked, curious.

“Excuse me?” Jason was completely caught off guard by that question.

“What do you do?” He repeated his question and Jason found him staring at the guns sitting in his holsters.

Oh right. Those didn’t look suspicious at all. But of course Dick’s curiosity would get to him because that was who he was. Full of questions and extremely observant.

“You’re asking about our occupation?”

Dick nodded his head. “Yes. Those—” He said and pointed at the guns. At least he wasn’t making grabby hands for them because then Jason would probably be worried. Bruce might even ban him from the guns. Good thing they were just rubber bullets and not real bullets since he was forced to switch to them after having rejoined the bat clan.

“We’re…superheroes.” Jason responded.

“Superheroes?!” Holy shit, suddenly the fucking light was lit and Dick yelled in excitement. His face was glowing and eyes all sparkling, gazing at Jason with admiration.

“Uh Yeah.”

“Wow! Cool!”

Oh god. No this was too cute. Just stop it. Jason couldn’t handle anymore cuteness overload.

“What can you do?”

Oh boy, hopefully he wouldn’t be disappointed that they didn’t actually have any real superpowers.

“ _Well_. We fight crime. I use fancy gadgets. So does Batman over there.” Jason said and gestured at Bruce who was probably glaring at him angrily from behind.

“How cool!” he said in awe and then pumped a fist. “I want to be a superhero too.”

Right. Of course he did. Just, kid Dick didn't know that he was currently one. At least, his adult self. But well, future him might become a superhero in this timeline. Who knows because Jason surely didn't.

Jason was going to add on but was rudely interrupted by Bruce. The Bat cleared his throat obnoxiously and Jason could hear his loud boots clicking against the floor as he walked over.

“Enough.” He growled.

Jason rolled his eyes. “Can you not use your all mighty scary voice? It’s just us.”

Bruce’s scowl grew deeper and he took a deep breath as if to calm his anger. He didn’t respond to Jason but did indeed lower his voice. “Let’s find a way out of here.”

“Right.” The more important thing that they should be dealing with instead of answering questions from a child Dick they probably wouldn’t ever see again. And should probably stop feeding bad ideas too.

“Okay. Yeah. Let’s—” Jason stopped when he realized that they weren’t exactly in the same room that they were trapped in early. The place was different yet, they were still very much stuck in an old brick warehouses.

The colors of the walls were gray rather than the dirty brown. And the room they were in? Well, let’s just say there’s a door now. A freaking door when there was none earlier and the space was so much wider.

“So, we’re not in the same place are we?” Jason asked.

“It appears not.” Bruce stated matter-of-fact. Probably noticed it earlier and was saving Jason face. Unless he really didn’t notice it and was too busy staring at Dick.

Speaking of Dick, the boy was huddled against the side of Jason’s legs with Zitka close by. He was looking at them with those big blue eyes, just so interested in everything. Curious but definitely observing.

Bruce turned on his heel, headed straight for the single door in the room. Jason followed closely behind, then glanced at Dick to make sure he was following. The boy trailed behind and kept a firm arm around Zitka.

Bruce cautiously curled his fingers around the door knob, clutched it tight and slowly twisted it. The door clicked and opened wide.

“What the hell?”

“Language Jason.”

Point taken. He glanced at the boy beside him who seemed a little perturbed as he stared out the door.

Well, they obviously found themselves in a bit of a predicament. Obviously, this must be some sort of game. It just had to be, like those horror video games. They found themselves staring into the abyss of a dimly lit outstretched hallway that led to who knows where. Jason couldn’t even see the end, just a long fucking road with creepy lamps hanging from above. All of them weren’t even lit. 

Seriously, he felt like he was in one of those abandoned asylums in those zombie games Damian often played. 

Jason exhaled loudly, braced himself for what was to come. Hopefully, just _hopefully_ , nothing bad would happen, but knowing him and Bruce’s luck, that was unlikely. 

“Stay close,” Jason said and looked Dick straight in the eye for confirmation. The boy nodded and gave a small smile. 

Jason decided that he was going to get Bruce to do the legwork and let the man lead, which he did, while he followed closely behind. He gestured for Dick to stay at his side, wanted to make sure he was in his eyesight. Didn’t want the boy to just randomly disappear or wander off and get lost. Who knew what would happen if they split up since there were no means of communication. 

It would end up as a disaster and Jason would feel awful if anything happened to the boy. 

As they continued down the pathway, they noticed that there were no doors or windows. None at all. No opening or vents, just a long stretched out concrete wall. It was eerily quiet and quite honesty, freaky. Almost felt like a maze. 

...Fuck. This better not be a maze.

Jason spoke too soon. Once they reached the end of the hall, there was another path to their left that lead them down another excruciatingly long hall. 

 _Fuck._  

Jason ran a hand down his face. This could not get any worse. Bruce said nothing, was probably just as annoyed as Jason was, but even then, he kept on leading. Had out his nice fancy bat flashlight to guide the way, just in case anything popped up in front of them. 

They continued forth and no one spoke a word. The only sounds that could be heard were their footsteps and soft breathing. Jason hated the silence and it was slowly getting on his nerves. The air was deadly quiet and Jason felt at any moment, something could appear. 

Jason sighed, tilted his head to the side and checked on Dick, and hoped the boy was doing okay. What he found wasn’t exactly what he was hoping to see. There was a slight tremor to his body and he was holding on firmly to Zitka, squeezing her like his life depended on it. He was scared and Jason couldn’t blame him. Dick was only a child and no matter how brave he knew the boy was, there was only so much he could handle at such a young age.

“Hey.” Jason called out and the boy twitched from the suddenness. He turned to look at Jason, eyes a little glassy. 

“...What?” He cautiously asked and narrowed his eyes. 

Jason said nothing and held out a hand, gestured at Dick to take it, but the boy just stared. Looked as if he wasn’t sure whether he should take it or not. After what felt like 30 seconds, Dick shyly reached out his hand and placed it in Jason’s palm.

Wow. _Wow._ His hand was tiny. So tiny compared to his own huge adult hands. They were soft and fragile and Jason couldn’t even link their fingers together like he often did with his Dick so he just held it normally. 

Jason kept his attention on Dick, caught the kid staring at the ground, almost shy. Even though it was dark, Jason could see a slight redness in his ears, couldn’t tell whether he was blushing or not. Or maybe he was just embarrassed. Either way, his hand was clammy and trembling and Jason felt bad, squeezed it tightly to reassure that he was safe. 

As he was focused on the boy, he felt someone’s gaze on him and flickered his eyes at Bruce. Caught the man staring at him, bearing a slight frown to his lips. He didn’t say a word and faced forward once again.

Jason wasn’t sure what that was all about, but ignored it and brought his attention back to Dick. Bruce could take care of himself, but Dick couldn’t and he had to prioritize his safety.

“Stay close.” Dick nodded his head in agreement. 

He couldn’t help but think about how adorable Dick was, all small and obedient. Worried and scared. Honestly, he knew he was always adorable, was unbelievably so when he was Robin. He was brave and energetic, always full of life and loved to make others laugh. Jason would often hear stories from Alfred about how mischievous he was, how he’d often try to make Bruce laugh, making it a goal of his. Said that the scowl on his face wasn’t suiting for him. And whenever he succeeded, he’d keep track of his success. Alfred would even gave him a reward as well. 

Jason could see the similarities, if ever so slightly, in this version of Dick. Just, he was younger and more innocent, didn’t have the same breadth of experience as his boyfriend. Which obviously made sense due to their age different. Kid Dick was only like—wait how old was he? 

“Dick, can I ask how old you are?” 

Dick blinked up from the ground and locked eyes with Jason. “I’m 6.” 

“Well, that’s good to know.” 

Dick’s eyes lit up with curiosity, suddenly interested in having a conversation. “How old are you?” 

Right. “You would want to know that wouldn’t you?”

The corner of his lips tugged into a smirk. “It’s only right since I let you know my age.” 

Oh god. Jason didn’t really want to tell the boy his age, felt old in comparison to this child version of his boyfriend, but Dick was giving him a very demanding look. Vivid blue eyes burned with fire, urging him to answer or he was going to be upset. 

“24.” 

“Old!’ He teased.

 _Ouch._ That hurt. Jason had never once been called old before since Dick was older than him, so this was new. 

In front of him, he could hear Bruce chuckling. The asshole was enjoying this and Jason wasn’t going to have any of it. No way was he going to allow himself to be embarrassed in front of Dick. 

So, Jason redirected the question back at the old man. “Batman is older than me.” Only served him right.

Dick tossed a glance at Bruce, so young and curious. “How old?” He asked, watched as his cape fluttered from side to side. 

Bruce didn’t answer and kept a tight lip, so Jason answered for him. “ _Ancient._ He’s extremely old.”

“Like grandpa old?" 

Jason burst into laughter at that remark because Dick looked so oddly confused when he asked that. Like he couldn’t believe that Batman could be that old. Was probably picturing a grey-haired old man struggling to fight in the suit.

“Jason—” Bruce warned.

“Yeah, exactly that.” Jason disregarded Bruce and answered Dick’s question. 

“ _Whoa._ ” Dick’s eyes widen like that was the most shocking news he’d gotten all day. “That’s old.” 

“Exactly.” 

“Jason.” Bruce called again, this time a little more urgently. 

“What?” 

“Quiet.” 

Jason rolled his eyes, knew that Bruce was telling him to zip his mouth shut but it was hard. Dick’s questions were so innocently cute that it was difficult not answering them even though they were fairly basic questions. It’s not like his answers were lies—Bruce was old but not that old. 

Dick hummed quietly, licked his lips and asked another question. “Why do you wear costumes?” 

“To keep our identities safe and protected,” Jason answered and felt Dick’s hand twitch in his when they turned another corner, walking endlessly in the eerie dark building. It was almost as if he was scared, didn’t like the silence and wanted to keep the conversation going.

“Oh,” he squeaked. “It’s so the bad guys can’t find out right?” 

“Right. You’re smart,” Jason complimented and earned a huge grin from the boy.

He continued to indulge him in his curiosity by answering questions that were thrown at him. Bruce would pipe in every so often when he felt the need but mainly kept focused on the task at hand.

Finally, the long endless hall came to an end and they found themselves standing before a door. Bruce grunted, displeased at the prospect. It definitely seemed like a trap, but they didn’t exactly have another option.

Jason drew in a shaky breath and looked at Bruce, waited for his command. The Bat wrapped a hand around the knob, pulled out his batarang while Jason got his gun ready before he opened the door. 

What they found was another empty room, similar to the one they were in before. The damn path just lead them to another room, almost as if they were being looped in an endless circle. At first glance, it was almost identical except the color of the walls were slightly different. 

Jason did a once through of the room, found nothing inside except for a door lined up straight in their pathway, possibly leading out or to another room or another hall. They wouldn’t know until they checked. 

Slowly, as they stepped inside the room, Bruce immediately got into a defensive stance, sensed that something was wrong. Jason braced himself for an attack and as expected, a group of men dressed in black, faces covered with masks, jumped out of nowhere and dashed towards them.

“Get Dick!” Bruce shouted and threw a batarang at one of their attackers. 

He didn’t have to say that twice as Jason quickly scooped Dick and cradled him in his arms as he ran off to the sides. A few of the ninjas, as Jason decided to call them, were heading straight for him and Jason was swift to fire shots at them, having had his gun ready at hand. He aimed straight for their legs, bullets flying through the flesh. The bodies collapsed to the ground and slowly, they disappeared—dispersed like a cloud of smoke. Jason’s eyes widened in surprise, peeved about what he’d just seen. 

Were they not real? Or— 

Either way, Jason could figure it out later. He had someone else to protect before he doubled down and dissected the situation. 

Jason shifted Dick, held him tight around his hips as his small arms clutched on tight around his neck. There was a worry on his face, lips pulled into a thin line and brows furrowed in fear.

“It’ll be fine.” Jason said. Dick sucked in a shaky breath and squeezed tighter. 

Jason continued to fight off the few strays that were coming for him while Bruce held down the front, kicking and punching, using all of his gadgets to prevent the enemies from advancing further towards them. Just like what happened with Jason, the same was occurring with Bruce. One by one, the men clad in black disappeared like thin air. 

Jason kept his guard up, made sure that nothing would happen. When suddenly, Dick started struggling in his arms. “Zitka! Where’s Zitka?” He asked, finally realized that his elephant wasn’t with him. Dick was frantically wiggling around, making it difficult for Jason to hold on without dropping him. 

“Dick! Hold still—let me just—” Jason readjusted his arm, placed it at the curve of his bottom to secure him against his hip. If only his other hand was free, he could have held on better. 

Turquoise eyes scanned the room, spotted the elephant huddling in a corner, safe from danger.

Good thing Zitka’s animal instincts kicked in and she quickly got out of the path of danger. Besides, the enemies were mainly focused on Bruce, coming at him from all angles as he single handedly took them down. With each hit, the bodies fell and magically dissipated—almost like they were clones made of air, like an illusion or some form of magic.

Even though they didn’t retain a physical form after incurring a hit, they were able to inflict damage. Watched as Bruce took a punch to the arm and saw him wince from the impact. 

It was strange. Gotham City wasn’t typically a place that attracted magical villains. All they had were the crazies, the insane, but once in a blue moon, someone that dabbled in magic would venture to their city. 

That was assuming if they were still in Gotham City because Jason still had no idea where they were at. Whether it was another dimension, the future, the past or some strange real-life dream. Even a hallucination. It could be a number of things, but he had not a single clue as to what. 

Bruce was down to the last few enemies and finished them off with the flick of his wrist as the batarangs hit the ninjas square in the chest. 

Jason breathed a sigh of relief and felt Dick relax against him. The boy hid his face in the crook of Jason’s neck, cheek pressed against his shoulder. Blue-green eyes glanced down at the boy, stroked a hand down his back to coax him out of his shell. 

“Dick—you doing okay?” Jason asked, worried. 

Dick lifted his head, stared at Jason and blinked his eyes. There was a bit of mixed feelings in his expression, like he was excited yet scared. Though, definitely scared seeing how there was a slight tremor to his body. 

Not a word came from the little boy’s mouth and Jason was getting worried. Did the event petrify him that much? 

But suddenly, his lips broke into a wide smile. “Wow!” He exclaimed, full of excitement and Jason was perplexed about that. 

“What?” 

“So cool!” 

Oh no. No no.  He didn't just call Bruce cool...now did he? 

Dick wiggled in Jason’s hold and then looked up at him with pouty lips. “Down,” he said. 

“What?” Jason blinked, confused. 

“Down please,” he asked politely and pointed at the floor. 

Jason raised his brows in confusion but did as he was told and carefully settled Dick down onto the ground. Made sure his legs were stable before he let go of him.

Once he released Dick from his hold, the boy sprinted for Bruce with eyes all sparkly and full of excitement. He immediately latched onto Bruce’s cape, tiny little fingers curling into the tough Kevlar as he gazed up at the man, smile all wide. 

‘You’re so cool!’ Dick exclaimed. “You were like boom and then whoosh and bam! And then you threw the thing—like a ninja! And you kicked and was like whoa!” Holy fuck, he was babbling like an excited child. Well, okay, he _is_ a child but still, he was running his mouth off about how cool Bruce was and making animated noises. 

It was adorable but it kind of irritated Jason. Or more like, made him jealous since he got to see how much of a badass Bruce could be and was getting all happy, blue eyes full of admiration. Jason wished Dick gave him that look, wanted a little version of his boyfriend to be blabbing about how amazing he was. 

Next time, Bruce was on the defense and Jason was going to show off how much he kick-assed. He exhaled softly and chuckled to himself. Even though he was jealous, he enjoyed seeing Dick happy—it was too precious. 

It was weird seeing child Dick excited about Batman. It was so innocent and adorable, not something Jason had often witnessed. It didn’t have the same effect since they were adults, but Jason knew that Dick still adored Bruce. Respected him like no other because Bruce was many things to Dick—a father figure, a mentor, and a good friend. And he knew that Bruce, in his own emotionally constipated way, felt the same about Dick. 

He knew that the strain in his and Bruce’s relationship put a burden on Dick. That he was having a hard time trying to get them to see eye to eye, or at least, to stop fighting. He didn’t press when he shouldn’t, didn’t want to ruin their already delicate relationship, so most of the time, Dick would refrain from saying something when Jason knew he badly wanted to tell them off. 

Jason was at least glad that in the moment, they were cooperating. If not for the sake of kid Dick.

Jason shook away his thoughts, brought himself back to reality as he gazed at Bruce, and could see how awkward he felt with Dick clinging to him, still blabbing nonsense as he tried to reenact Bruce’s moves but failing hard. 

Oh god, he just slipped and fell on his butt. Bruce twitched, a worried expression washing over his face. Immediately, he leaned down and gripped his armpits, lifting him up to his feet. He kindly dusted off his pants and then placed a hesitant hand on his head. 

“Alright?” 

“Yes!” Dick replied not at all hurt. 

How could one be so damn adorable? 

Dick Grayson, that’s who. 

“So—“ Jason started, licked his lips. “What was that?” 

Bruce stood back up and Dick looked disappointed when the Bat was no longer looking at him. He pouted and reached a tiny hand for Bruce’s cape. He grabbed hold and wrapped himself in the Kevlar cloak, pretended that he was a mini version of the Batman. 

Jason tried not to be distracted by Dick’s child-like tendencies and focused on the matter at hand. 

“I assume they are being controlled by magic which would explain the disappearance after encountering a physical touch.” Bruce explained. 

“Makes…sense I guess.” Jason shrugged his shoulders and side glanced Dick who was pressing his cheek against the side of Bruce’s legs, hugging on tight, taking a rest after having lost some steam. 

Their speculation was based on what they’d seen as neither had a single clue or a lead as to what was going on. Everything was left in the dark—almost as if they were stuck in some strange dream. Bruce was doing a swell job at holding down his cool, but Jason was sure he was irritated. It was probably due to Dick being around because otherwise, he might still be picking a fight with Jason. 

Bruce breathed a sigh. “Search the room.” 

Jason nodded, seeing that Bruce was occupied with Dick. As he searched around, he couldn’t help but feel a little conflicted with Dick’s sudden change of attitude—kid Dick that is. Just from that one round of fighting, he was suddenly smitten by Bruce even though Bruce had completely ignored him the whole time.

Was Batman that much cooler than the Red Hood? _Maybe._ He was menacing and domineering even though he was dressed like a bat, but it made sense. Even as a child, Dick loved Bruce. Was always infatuated with him no matter the age he was. 

Jason kept getting distracted as he was searching, lost in thought every so often. Thinking about what his Dick was currently doing and if he was dealing okay with the whole reveal. Or maybe he was looking for Bruce and Jason and freaking out that they’d disappeared? 

Probably a mixture of both. He could just imagine his frantic face now and then the reprimand he’d get once he was found. 

That was one thing he was looking forward to seeing. 

As Jason tried to focus and continued on searching the perimeter for any clues, he heard soft giggling and snapped his head back towards the noise. Found Bruce petting Dick, actually caressing his hair and the boy was smiling wide with bright pink cheeks and laughing. Oh god, he was giggling and Jason was jealous because he wanted to make Dick react like that. 

Sighing loudly, he groaned. How petty could he be right now? Jealous of a little attention he wasn’t getting. 

Running a hand through his hair, Jason took a deep breath. He needed to focus on the issue at hand. He resumed his search once more and concluded that he couldn’t find anything. There was not a single clue that any of those enemies had left behind. They vanished, almost as if they were never there in the first place. There was not a single drop of blood or weapons of any sort. _Nothing at all._  

Now he was getting frustrated because how were they supposed to get home if they had no clue what was going on?

“There’s nothing,” Jason reported to Bruce and finally, Dick looked at him. Blue eyes blinked and he squinted at Jason, tilting his head in wonder. 

Then suddenly, he released his hold of Bruce’s legs and walked towards Jason. Slipped his hand into his own and held on. 

“Uh—“ Jason shuttered, was confused by the action. Was he that comfortable enough with Jason to do something so bold? So Dick-like but not? 

They hadn’t bonded that long unless, Jason had easily gained his trust. 

“Dick?” Jason called out and felt Dick squeeze his hand again, shifting from side to side, almost shy. 

Dick didn’t pipe a word and Jason just stared at him, flickered between Dick and Bruce, trying to figure if Bruce could read into Dick. But Bruce didn’t have an answer, was just as confused as he was. 

Okay. Well, Jason didn’t know what to do and just held onto his hand. Zitka came up to Dick’s side, finally out of her hiding spot and nudged Jason’s free hand with her trunk. Now suddenly, he had two bodies cuddling up to him. 

“Jason!” Dick exclaimed, smile wide. 

“Yeah?” Jason answered and looked down at the boy. 

He was beaming with glee. “Zitka likes you!” 

“Oh?”

“Yeah! She’s usually really picky too,” Dick explained and reached a hand out to pet her trunk as the elephant cuddled herself against Jason’s leg. He guessed it was a good thing to get the approval of his pet. 

“It’s probably because you protected me,” he mumbled softly and swung their hands back and forth. 

Jason felt his heart swell with pride, happy he was getting that bit of attention he wanted. 

Bruce cleared his throat, interrupting Jason’s brief moment of bliss. He nudged his head towards the direction of the door and Jason knew what he was getting at. Bruce took a step forward and Jason followed closely behind with Dick still holding onto his hand and Zitka in tow. 

When they opened the door, they all but groaned when they realized it was another endless hallway. Seriously, how many damn hallways were there?

“Do we just keep going?” Jason asked. 

Bruce grunted. “Eventually there will be a way out.”

So he said but they just ended up going around in a maze yet again, turning into dead ends and ending up in rooms where they got attacked once again by the same enemies. And still, they couldn’t find a single clue and it was slowly starting to irritate the both of them. So much so that they were getting more aggressive in their fights. 

As they battled off yet again another pack of enemies, Jason was caught off guard and Dick got nicked by one of the men as Jason was overwhelmed by the sheer amount of enemies. 

“Ah!” The boy cried when the knife sliced his arm. Blood was seeping out, dribbling down his skin and Jason could see red right now, anger boiling within his chest. 

He was about to hurt the asshole who dared to injure Dick, but Bruce beat him to the punch. Jumped the bastard and knocked him clean in the face. The man fell to the ground and disappeared. 

They finished off the rest, well, Bruce doing most of the legwork. Jason settled Dick to the ground and the boy whimpered, had his hand covered over the cut.

“Let me.” Bruce said and knelt beside the boy. 

Jason had a firm arm around the boy’s waist, giving him comfort as Bruce gently tended to his wound. Bruce was so careful, something Jason hadn't seen before. It was...odd. Jason knew the Bat cared in a roundabout way but he was emotionally stunted. Expressed his love in a terrible way. 

Bruce cleaned off the blood, made sure to sanitize it in case of any infections that could occur. He pressed down firmly yet gently with a clean gauze, soaked up the blood. Thankfully the cut wasn't deep so there was only minimal bleeding. Bruce quickly bandaged up the wound. 

Dick sniffled and wiped at his tears. “Thanks,” he mumbled with quivering lips. 

Bruce sighed and ruffled his hair. “You were very brave.” 

Dick beamed, smile small and continued to rub at his eyes. 

Jason on the other hand was internally beating himself up for not being careful. For hurting Dick. All he had was one fucking job and he couldn't even protect him. The redbird was fuming with anger, glaring at the bandages wrapped around Dick’s thin arm.

“It's fine Jason.” Bruce said, noticed that Jason was upset. 

Jason exhaled and ran a hand through his hair. “No. My fault. He got hurt,” he murmured, turned his attention to the boy who was staring at him with watery eyes. Jason felt guilt ridden, never liked it when his boyfriend was injured, so seeing this younger version of Dick in tears and wounded ate at his conscience. He fucked up, badly. He shouldn't have been in charge of Dick in the first place. 

“Sorry,” Jason apologized, pressed a cheek fo his hair and felt Dick’s small hand search for his. 

“No no,” he squeaked. “You protected me!” Dick said and squeezed his hand with enthusiasm, like he was trying to get his feelings across. “You protected me Jason!” 

“You got hurt.” 

Dick shook his head. “It's just a scratch.” 

“But—” 

“No buts.” He said, wiggled his tiny finger and then wrapped his arms around Jason's neck and hugged him. “Thank you.” 

Even while he was a child, Dick was always able to make him feel better despite the fact that it was his mistake. There was just something about the bluebird that helped Jason settle his emotions, keeping them peaceful. Though the idiot himself was the master of self-blame. 

“We both want to protect him,” Bruce muttered and wasn't that the honest truth. 

Before, they'd been fighting, bickering over Dick, but currently, they were doing the exact opposite. They were working together to protect this version of Dick. They still didn't have a single clue as to what was going on but the boy reminded them so much of their own Dick that they couldn't help but act on impulse. Indulge him in his wants. 

Protect him and return him home to his parents. 

Well fuck. Who would have thought they'd actually be able to cooperate for once without breaking into a massive argument? 

Jason chuckled to himself at the realization and smirked at Bruce, saw the corner of his lips slide into a small grin. The redbird braced another arm around the boy and hoisted him into his arms. 

They continued down the path, followed the road that hopefully would lead then out of this crazy maze soon. 

Music could be heard the farther along they got, as light was slowing penetrating the dark space. Up ahead, there was light at the end of the tunnel and the closer they got the louder the music became. 

The music was familiar and Jason realized it sounded like some sort of carnival. Once they were out of the dark and mysterious building, they found themselves at a...circus. 

A damn fucking circus. Jason blinked in confusion. What the hell was going on? 

He quickly glanced back and found that the building was gone. He was sure now that this wasn't some alternate universe cause things like that don't just happen. 

Jason sighed, felt his head throbbing in pain, confused. Honestly he just wanted to get out of here. 

The circus was like any other circus he's seen. Colorful striped tents were spread about the field, loud carnival like music blasting throughout. The place was lit, bright and vibrant, yet there was no one in sight. Or at least, Jason didn't spot anyone. It felt eerily quiet, almost abandoned. Unless they were all inside the tents. 

Jason felt wary about the place, but Dick was wiggling excitedly in his arms, jumping up and down.

“Home!” Dick exclaimed.

If this was his home then that would make a lot of sense why they were here, but Jason couldn't confirm it was Haly’s circus. 

“It's fine,” Bruce spoke up and settled a hand on his shoulder. “This is his home. It's just as I remembered it,” Bruce said uneasy. Guess they both felt the same about the place. 

“Can you put me down?” Dick looked at Jason with big blue eyes and asked. 

“Let's not yet. We have to make sure there are no more enemies.” 

Dick frowned and curled his hand against Jason's chest. He nodded his head in understanding. “Okay.” 

They threaded carefully through the circus, on guard just in case. They ventured from one tent to the next, checking inside each one they passed by. All were empty, devoid of any life. Equipment were spread about the places, yet, there wasn't a single life present. It was weird.

Jason could feel a chill crawling down his spine. Things were already creepy when he found himself in this mess, but it was progressively getting worse. It didn't help that one of the areas they passed by was filled with clown masks. Jason tried to not pay attention to that and kept his eyes on Dick. Dick, whose sapphire eyes were darting all over, confused. He seemed nervous, realized that something was odd as his fingers latched onto Jason's shirt, clutching tightly. 

Jason sighed and bumped his forehead against Dick’s. “Don't worry. I'm sure they're fine.” 

Tiny lips quivered, worried. “I hope so.” 

Jason stayed positive and rubbed a hand up his back for comfort. He just hoped nothing happened to his parents and that they were still alive. No matter what sort of dream or world they were stuck in, he couldn't bear to see a scene of Dick finding his parents’ lifeless bodies. 

Bruce came to a sudden stop when they entered one of the last few tents. His shoulders became stiff and Jason immediately followed his line of sight. 

Jason could see where the surprise came from when he noticed exactly which tent they were in. He couldn't confirm exactly but he was sure it was the one Dick’s parents were killed it. 

There was a man and a woman, swinging high above them. Jumping from set to set, performing stunts and flips, similar to the ones Dick performed on a nightly basis. 

He knew they had to be his parents and confirmed it the moment Dick squealed.

“Mom! Dad!” he shouted and waved excitedly at them. 

Surprisingly his parents responded and Jason watched as their eyes fell upon them.

“Can you put me down now?” Dick asked and Jason was reluctant to do so because what if they were fake? What if they hurt him? He didn't want to jeopardize Dick once again. 

The redbird felt a hand on his shoulder and found Bruce at his side. The Bat looked troubled, probably felt the same as Jason. They knew that this wasn't real, that none of this was most likely not real. That it wasn't their Dick, but even then, he was still very much Dick. 

Jason was reluctant but he set Dick down and the boy was excited as he waited for his parents. 

Once they were in sight, he dashed forward, but then stopped suddenly. He turned to look back at Bruce and Jason, blue eyes full of gloom. He looked upset and quickly ran back the way he came. 

Dick bumped into Bruce and squeezed his arms firmly around his legs. Bruce chuckled, amused and kneeled down to Dick’s level, gathered him in his arms for a proper hug. The boy leaned up on his toes and planted a wet kiss on Bruce’s cheeks. 

“Thanks for protecting me!” Dick said, smile wide. 

The features on Bruce’s face softened and he pulled down his cowl to reveal his face. Dick gasped but wasn't perturbed. Was still smiling wide.

Bruce looked so happy, almost sentimental. Was probably reminiscing on his young days when Dick was still Robin. He placed a hand on Dick's head and stroked his hair. 

“Of course. Be good and don't get lost again.”

Dick nodded and detached himself from Bruce. He rushed over to Jason and Jason was expecting a hug too but instead, Dick was acting all shy, fidgeting with his hands and swaying back and forth.

Dick made a hand at Jason, gestured at him to lean down. Jason crouched and Dick cupped his cheeks with his tiny hands and planted a soft kiss on his right. The boy stared him straight in the eye, bright and wide. 

“I lied,” he mumbled. “You're not funny looking. You're actually cool.” Then he leaned in and cupped his ear. “Cooler than Batman,” he whispered. 

Jason's lips spread into a grin and he pinched Dick’s cheeks. “Thanks.” And hugged the boy, squeezed him tight, didn't want to let go, but reluctantly did. 

“Behave yourself and stop making trouble.” 

“Okay!” 

Zitka came up to his side, nuzzled his hand with her trunk. He giggled and pressed one last quick kiss to Jason's other cheek and then rushed off to his parents. 

His father gathered the boy in his arms, smothered him with hugs and kisses. It was such a picture perfect family and his parents were looking at him lovingly.

Dick waved at them and slowly, they started to fade away, the image became less and less as the light penetrated his vision. He could hear someone calling his name, a familiar voice, a voice he really loved.

Jason's eyes shot wide open as he woke up and found himself staring at a cracked white ceiling.

Confused, he blinked, trying to bring up the last image he'd just scene. He could still vividly remember the events that just took place.

“Jason!” 

It was Dick but he wasn't a kid anymore. He was dressed in his Nightwing regalia, black and blue with pretty finger stripes. There was an edginess to his voice, worried. 

“Hey…?” His was raspy and dry. He coughed, tried to clear the roughness in his throat. 

Turquoise eyes wandered and he found Tim and Damian slightly off to his side, kneeling beside a confused Bruce. 

Jason attempted to sit up but found Dick holding his hand, tight and firm, not wanting to let go. The bluebird was worried and Jason didn't realize that until now. Was too disoriented. 

“Help me sit up?” 

Dick nodded and carefully helped Jason, never once letting go of his hand. 

“What happened?” He asked and felt a slight pain in his head. 

“You and Batman weren't responding so we went to find you. You guys were stuck in this room so we broke in and found you collapsed on the ground,” Dick explained and hitched a breath. “You and Bruce wouldn't wake up.”

There was a slight tremor in his hands and they felt clammy. Dick was biting his lip in worry, dazzling eyes glassy and dark. 

Jason drew in a breath and bumped his forehead. “I'm fine.” 

“Are you sure?” Dick asked, voice slightly shaky.

“Yeah,” he breathed.

 Jason brushed a hand against his cheek and kissed the corner of his lips. Watched as a pink colored his face. 

Dick leaned back and glanced over towards Bruce. Jason could hear Damian fussing about the older man. 

Bruce was watching them but he didn't say a word. As to be expected. Even though they bonded in their dream, as it seemed like that was the case, there was still a rift between them. The fight hadn’t yet come to a close. 

Jason knew he should do something, that they should talk about it but he wasn't ready to break that barrier just yet.

So he said nothing and got up to his feet. Dick was trying not to mother hen him or Bruce as the bluebird was constantly fretting over them. Couldn't decide if he wanted to be at Bruce's or Jason's side and settled for walking beside the both of them and telling them how worried he was. 

Neither Bruce nor Jason said a word as they headed back to the cave to digest what had just happened. 

\------ 

They were back at the bat cave. Damian and Tim were quick to change and rushed up to the manor, wanted to shower in their respective bathrooms. 

Jason was stuck debriefing with Bruce while Dick watched them from the side, slowly stripping out of his uniform and into a shirt and sweats. 

His cowl was down, expression hard. They still hadn't quite figured out what happened but it looked like they might have been caught in some magical field within the building and placed under a hallucination. Which would explain all the craziness that happened but they weren't sure why it happened. And why they met a younger Dick. 

There was no clue and they had no answer. Just that it happened and they were unharmed.

It was almost as if there was supposed to be a message he was missing. Something important—something relating to Dick.

Maybe it had to do with their recent fight, Jason didn't know. Whatever it was, it happened and he wasn't going to dwell on it. 

There were more important things to resolve, and Jason knew they should do if now seeing how Dick was behaving. He was fidgeting, fumbling around with his thumbs as he twirled them. He was irked, didn't know what to say. Was probably hoping Bruce wasn't going to lash out at them.

Bruce sighed and relaxed, shoulders slumped. “I'm not mad.” 

Dick arched a brow, confused, skeptical almost and glanced at Jason. The redbird shrugged his shoulders, was waiting for Bruce to elaborate. He'd also like to know whether he was mad or not seeing that he tried to kill him (not literally) earlier. 

Sapphire eyes squinted at Bruce, judging. Waiting for him to squirm and let up, confess that he was lying. 

And Bruce did. “Alright, I was mad.”

Dick’s lips quirked into a smile, triumphant. “I know when you're angry.” 

He pinched the bridge of his nose. “I'm not mad that you're dating,” Bruce explained, earned a surprise look from his two sons. “I'm mad that you didn't tell me.” 

Jason honestly was not expecting that answer. 

“I didn't—” Dick blurted. “I didn't tell you because I was afraid of your reaction. You two still fight and it's—it’s frustrating.” Dick threaded a hand through his hair, breathed out a long sigh. 

Jason could agree to that, knew about that beforehand already. 

“I don't want you to shun Jason anymore.”

“I don't do that,” he argued.

Dick tossed his hands. “You do! You just—you two always argue and I'm tired of it. I'm—I’m worried. I don't want things to go downhill. I don't want us to—” Dick was raising his voice, frantic as he tried to explain himself. His worries. 

Jason was about to interrupt but was cut off. “I want you two to get along. I don't, I don't want you, Bruce, to disapprove of us. Of Jason.“ 

Dick had a solid point. Jason had never tried to fix his relationship with Bruce and instead, just stuck a band-aid on it. It's just, he wasn't ready yet. He wasn't ready to mend their broken relationship unless Bruce was because then all they would do is fight.

Jason exhaled. “I guess I—we,” he corrected and pointed at himself and Bruce. “Should try harder.” He couldn't believe he was saying that. 

Bruce’s expression softened and he met Jason straight on. Looked from him to Dick and sighed. “We do,” he agreed. “We will...work it out.” Bruce spoke with firmness, meant exactly what he said. 

Dick beamed, satisfied with their answer and smiled brightly. It reminded Jason of his younger self. Innocent and sweet, loving and caring. 

“Good.” Dick said. “Good. I'm—I’m happy. That you guys are at least going to try.” 

Jason couldn't hold in his urge any longer and strode towards Dick, tugged him by the waist and kissed him hard. 

Bruce grunted unhappily in the background but Jason didn't care. 

All that matter was Dick was happy and in his arms, unharmed and away from danger. 

And maybe, just maybe, he could rekindle his relationship with Bruce.

**Author's Note:**

> Here is the [batfam reverse big bang artwork](https://pentapoda.tumblr.com/post/165063059811/a-batfamreversebigbang-prompt-for-mayonara) by the lovely pentapoda that goes along with the story! A link was also posted at the scene of the story as well.
> 
> Thank you for reading and hope you enjoyed it! Comments and kudos are much appreciated! You can also find me at [mayonara](http://mayonara.tumblr.com/)


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